Cape school board OKs 2.5 percent average pay raise for employees

The Cape Girardeau School Board approved an average 2.5 percent pay increase across the board for its employees at a recent special meeting.

Neil Glass, assistant superintendent of administrative services, said Monday the percentage is approximate, because it depends on where an individual's pay is on the salary schedule.

During the past four years, the district has been transitioning from a frozen teacher-salary schedule to a new one.

"It is an ongoing process," Glass said. "Obviously, a big piece that will help us in the future -- it hasn't helped us yet, and that's just because we haven't been in this long enough -- is we're working on the benefits side to stabilize those increases so that we can put more toward the salary schedules. In the past, we've kind of had to balance that."

The average base salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree will be $32,500 for 2015-2016 -- an increase of $500 from the 2014-2015 school year.

The average base salary for administrators will be $54,250, and for a coordinator, the average base salary will be $53,500.

All the classified schedules also received an average 2.5 percent increase, Glass said, including teacher assistants, administrative assistants, technology support, nurses, maintenance, custodians and those in nutrition services.

Stipend amounts for extra duties were not changed, and the daily rate of a substitute teacher without a degree will remain $70. The daily rate for a substitute with a degree will be $80.

klamb@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, Mo.